Connected
by Lushyypants9
Summary: Rosemarie and Lily-Rose Hathaway are connected both to Vasilissa Dragomir their best friend after a traumatic car crash almost kills them, Rose and Lily take Lissa away from St Vladimir's Academy to keep her safe, after getting themselves caught by Guardians from the school, what will be in store for them? LOVE TRIANGLE
1. Lily-Rose

I will be following the books as I write these, but with my own twist on the story of course, the script will most likely be the same with a few differences, and the descriptions might be similar to those of the books, but I will make it my own, if you decide you don't like the way that is portrayed I understand completely. And as much as some people may dislike, my character will have more of a relationship with Dimitri than Rose, although I love them completely, I haven't decided whether or not there will be a love triangle between them, so feel free to vote. All rights go to Richelle Mead apart from my character Lily-Rose.

Connected - Lily-Rose

I laughed as I watched my sister Rose and my best friend Lissa sing along to Fleur East's Sax, they were dancing as much as they could in Lissa's parents car. I glanced over at her brother Andre.

"What's the matter Andre not feeling it?" I laughed and he laughed back.

"Whatever you say Lil."

I watched from the mirror and saw that Lissa's mom was laughing with us.

"Please turn it up!" I heard Rose yell from the other end of the car. It was a wonder we all managed to fit in this car in the first place, I may as well have been sat on Andre's lap.

Lissa, Rose, Andre and I began to dance in the back of the car as Lissa's Mom clapped along looking in the mirror, and her Dad reached over the front of the car and turned the knob of the radio up louder.

And that's when it happened. I saw it out of the corner of my eye, headlights came towards us and my eyes widened.

"Look out!" I screamed as I tried to hold my arm in front of both my friend and my sister, but all I saw was black.

I gasped as I awoke with a start. I ran a hand through my dark tresses. Her nightmare ran through me and I shivered, if this was happening to me, I could imagine it was happening to Rose too. All of the images ran through my mind, Rose, Lissa, Andre, Me, Lissa and Andre's Mom and Dad, him turning up the radio, me screaming.

I jumped up out of my bed as I remembered Lissa.

I ran into Lissa's room and saw Rose already there and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Liss, you aren't there anymore." Rose helped her sit up as I leaned against the door.

"I had that dream." Lissa replied.

"We know." Rose answered.

We were all silent for a while, when Rose and I felt Lissa calm down and she reached over to switch the light on and she jumped as Oscar, Lissa's cat jumped up on the bed, I laughed slightly and Rose glared.

"When was your last feeding Liss?" I asked, I studied her just incase she lied, even though she couldn't because I could still feel her emotions, but she didn't fully understand how that worked. I noticed her dark under eye circles and tiredness and I swore under my breath.

"It's been more than two or three days Liss, why didn't you tell us?" Rose asked.

Lissa shrugged her shoulders as she slumped against Rose. Rose looked up at me.

"I'll do it." I replied to Rose's look.

Rose shifted Lissa into a better position and I kneeled in front of her.

"Lil-"

"No arguments, it's my turn."

Rose rubbed Lissa's shoulders. "Come on, it'll make you feel better."

I tilted my head back and threw my hair over my shoulder, baring my neck to her. I noticed she hesitated but she was too hungry to argue. A starved expression bord her face and her lips parted baring her fangs, as she neared my skin I felt my heart skip, I was glad Rose couldn't feel my emotions although I knew she felt the same when it was her turn to feed Lissa, as many times as we've done it whilst being away, I was always gripped by the feel of fear and anticipation.

Her fangs bit into me, hard, she couldn't resist the hunger anymore, I whimpered at the slight moment of pain and then it turned into a wonderful feeling, it was better than getting drunk or high, even better than sex. It was a pure rush of pleasure that encased me completely.

I felt Lissa pull back the feeling almost strange as I felt her fangs retract from where she penetrated the skin, she wiped her hand across her lips as she studied me.

"You okay?"

I breathed in silently, my eyes still closed. It took me a minute to get back to reality.

"Yeah, I'm good." I felt slightly dizzy from the blood loss. Rose reached out to me, her hand on my shoulder. My eyes opened and I took in her worry.

"I'm okay Rose." I took her hand in mine and squeezed it.

"You sure?"

"Yes, you know how it is." Rose peeled her hand back. She knew how it was that's why she was worried, but she knew I would be fine in a while.

I took a bottle of water from Lissa's side table and took a gulp of it.

"I'm going to get you something to eat." Lissa was up before I could stop her.

"You know how she is." Rose laughed.

I laughed with her as I got up from my position and laid on Lissa's bed as the feeling was still inside me. I heard Oscar growl and I sat up a little too quickly, my hand flew to my head. I saw Rose by the window and she gasped and pulled back quickly.

"Rose-" I warned.

"We've got to go. Now." I knew that tone of voice and I ran into my room and pulled on a pair of jeans and threw on one of my sweaters and a pair of shoes and ran into Rose as she had done the same. Rose grabbed her and Lissa's coat and I grabbed mine, and we both ran downstairs.

We found her in the cramped kitchen making what smelled like a grilled cheese for me. My stomach growled in hunger but I pushed the thought of food out of my mind.

"What are you doing? You shouldn't be up." Lissa chastised.

I shook my head.

"We got to go."

Rose grabbed Lissa and pushed her coat into her hands. I felt Lissa fill with fear.

"It's gonna be fine, we've outrun them before."

"Lissa, grab his keys." Rose nodded towards the boy sat on the table in the kitchen, he had his headphones in so thankfully he didn't take in the commotion around him.

Rose and I watched as Lissa rushed over to Jeremy, one of the other students that shared the apartment with us. I felt Lissa's fear again along with the complete and utter faith that Rose and I had this under control, Lissa felt safe with one of us around, but with both of us she felt better.

Lissa gazed into Jeremy's eyes and smiled. He stared, confused at what was going on and then I watched as the thrall overtook him. His eyes became glazed over with adoration.

"We need to borrow your car." She said with a voice so gentle. She was angelic. Her pale blonde hair and bright blue eyes added to the feeling. "Where are your keys?"

Reaching into his pocket, Jeremy handed her over a set of keys.

"Thank you, and where is it parked?"

"Down the street, at the corner by Brown." He replied dreamily.

Damn it. That meant we had further to go than I anticipated.

"Liss, we've got to move." Rose warned Lissa.

We all stepped outside, heading towards the corner he'd named. I was still slightly dizzy from the bite so Rose had to hold me and pushed Lissa further making sure she kept moving.

"Rose? What are we going to do if they catch us?" She whispered.

"They won't" She whispered fiercely and I swelled with pride. "We won't let them." I could stand on my own now as I could feel the aftermath of the bite fade a little.

"Rose is right. We won't let them catch us."

"But if they've found us-"

"They found us before. They didn't catch us then and they won't catch us now." I replied.

"We'll just drive over to the train station and go to L.A. They'll lose the trail." said Rose.

She made it sound so simple, she always did when it came to Lissa. Even though there wasn't anything simple about being on the run from people we've grown up with. We've been doing this for two years, running away and hiding as much as we could, attempting to finish high school. She didn't say anything else and I felt her faith in us flare up once more. This is how it's always been between the three of us. Rose and I were the ones that took actions, sometimes more reckless than the other but we got shit done. Lissa was the more reasonable one of course, the one who thought things out before she did things, but this time we didn't have time to hesitate.

We had all been friends since kindergarten, Rose and I were together always because we were sisters, but the teacher paired Lissa with us for writing lessons after she was the odd one out. Trying to get the three of us to try and write our names was beyond cruel, try writing Vasilissa Dragomir, Rosemarie Hathaway and Lily-Rose Hathaway when you're five years old, granted the other two were more difficult but I wasn't exactly the smartest. It was like Rose and I had thought exactly the same thing, we both chucked our books at her and called her a bitch after she told us off because we were spelling them wrong, we obviously didn't know what that word meant, but we knew how to hit a moving target, besides, we worked well together as a team.

All three of us had been inseparable ever since.

"Do you hear that?" Lissa asked suddenly.

It took Rose and I a few minutes to realise what she was talking about. Footsteps. And they were moving fast. I grimaced, we still had about two more blocks to go.

"Lil, we've got to run for it." Rose glanced at me and I nodded, we both knew how to make important decisions, we really weren't that different from each other, one more rebellious and impulsive than the other, only just, we could've been twins. I was only a little older than her, people sometimes got us confused with each other because we both looked similar and acted the same. Only certain people could tell the difference.

Rose and I caught Lissa's arm.

"But you can't-

" _Run_ " We both gripped Lissa's arm and we ran like hell.

It took a lot of power for me to not just pass out on the sidewalk. My body wasn't agreeing with me after losing blood, but I pushed as much as I could, Rose's pace was keeping my legs going.

The pursuing footsteps grew louder and louder, they knew we were running. Ahead of us I could just about make out Jeremy's _stupid_ green honda. If we could just go a little bit faster-

Only ten feet from the car a man stepped directly into our path and both Rose and I pulled Lissa back. He was older than us, maybe mid-twenties and tall, he had dark shoulder length hair pulled up into a ponytail, the girl inside me swelled with hormones but my protectiveness over my sister and Lissa were at the forefront.

The footsteps behind us slowed down, and I knew then our pursuers had caught up. I swore under my breath. I looked around for any kind of escape route but found none, Rose had the same idea but we both found nothing. Jesus. They had sent almost a dozen guardians to retrieve us. Panic swelled within me, inside a part of me knew we couldn't defeat this many guardians but I wasn't about to give up. No way. Rose and I acted out of instinct and we pressed against Lissa keeping her as far away from them as possible.

"Leave her alone." Rose warned.

"Don't you dare touch her." I growled, my eyes beginning to rage in front of me, we were so close to that fucking car!

The guardian in front of us took a step too close and Rose and I sprang into action, she was the first to make a move, and I latched my hands onto Lissa to keep her in place, I could feel her grab me back in fear. She attacked him, leaping into offensive mode, he was a skilled guardian, that move was a reckless maneuver that she hadn't used since we first ran away, I tried to persuade her to go to a gym like I had, granted I always got strange looks just because I was a girl but she needed to keep up and not lose her strength.

Man was he fast. I had almost forgotten how quick guardians could be, I watched as he slammed into Rose and sent her backwards into another car.

"Rose!" I shouted, I could feel she wasn't passed out and I pushed Lissa towards her. "Go to Rose." I watched as Lissa ran towards her, checking if she was okay and they both stood up on the defensive, I noticed a scratch of blood on Rose's cheek and my mood turned malicious. I stalked up to him, and glared into his eyes, I noticed him taking in my body language and he stood in the defensive.

I was the first to throw a punch but he dodged it effortlessly. I was now glad for all the time I spent in the gym while it was Rose's turn to protect Lissa. I growled in impatience as he blocked another one of my punches. He seemed to notice I was stronger than Rose and turned to me and he tried to grab for me but I blocked him by kicking him in his chest, I managed to push him back but he was too quick and he grabbed my leg, before I could pull it back in time. I knew exactly what he was going to do. He twisted my leg and I rolled in the air, it was like it all went in slow motion. I saw the ground underneath me and noticed the way I was going to fall, straight on my side, I knew it was going to hurt. I braced myself for the impact but just as quickly as he grabbed my leg the man reached out and pulled my arm, keeping me upright, I threw my legs to the ground to keep me steady. I felt myself begin to feel weaker, my eyes closed and I threw a hand to my head as I felt my dizziness come back. I felt my legs begin to fall beneath me, but the man caught me around my waist and picked me up back on my feet.

Still disoriented, I noticed he was staring at me- or, more precisely at my neck. I reached a hand up to the side of my throat and lightly touched the wound Lissa had made earlier. When I pulled my fingers back, I saw slick, dark blood on my skin. I panicked and pulled my hair around to cover it up.

The man's dark eyes lingered on the now covered bite a moment longer, then met mine, my anger from earlier turned to embarrassment at the fact he had seen the bite, I returned his look and my feeling turned into those of annoyance, we were so close from escaping from them and they ruined everything. I stepped forward and threw another punch but he blocked it again and threw a punch into my ribs. I doubled over in pain, I felt him grab me again, but this time he turned me around with my hands behind my back and against his body, I struggled in his hold but he was super strong. My eyes turned to my sister and Lissa, Rose saw the dizziness was starting to get a hold of me.

"Let her go!"

I felt my head fall back against my captor from the nausea, and my struggles ceased, if it wasn't the fact I had lost a lot of blood I would've fought back, even from his hold. The guardian seemed to notice my weakness.

I heard my name being called before I passed out.


	2. The Academy

"Don't let them talk to each other." He warned the guardian that had escorted me to the back of the plane, I had not long awoken from unconsciousness. Lissa, Rose and myself had automatically been split up from each other, Lissa was sat with the Russian guy who's name I now know as Dimitri, Rose was with some other guy and thankfully I was by myself, although there was a guardian sat on the right side of me just in case.

"Five minutes together and they'll come up with an escape plan." Dimitri continued.

I sat with my arms crossed, glaring at the seat in front of me. I knew we were done for. We were considerably outnumbered and we were heading straight for the Academy, there wasn't anything else we could do. Even though Lissa was sat with the Russian guy, I could feel her fear through me, and it didn't help I could sense Rose's defeat either. Lissa's fear over grew Rose's defeat and it felt as though I was sinking into her, piering through her eyes, seeping into her skin. This would happen sometimes, none of us had any control over it, I knew the same thing was happening to Rose, Lissa pulled us both in her head without realising.

Dimitri's tall frame sat beside me, and my hand, no her hand, gripped the bottle of water she was holding. He leaned forward, revealing six tiny symbols tattooed on the back of his neck: molnija marks. They looked like two streaks of jagged lightning crossing in a X symbol. One for each, single Strigoi he had killed. Above the molnija marks was a twisting line, like a snake, that marked him as a guardian. The promise mark.

I fought against Lissa tiredly, managing to shift myself back into my own mind, I glanced towards Rose and could see she had done the same. Her brown eyes turned to me and raised her eyebrows and I nodded in reply. We both knew that feeling Lissa's emotions was one thing but slipping into her mind was something all three of us hated, we all felt like it was an invasion of privacy. We never knew when it was going to happen which made it ten times worse.

Near to the end of the flight, Dimitri walked to the back of the plane where I was sat and traded places with the guardian beside me. I turned away from him, my arms still together, staring out into the darkness.

Moments of silence passed between us before he'd actually started talking.

"I spoke to your sister." He said.

I made no move to reply and he sighed.

"Were you really going to attack all of us?"

I still didn't answer him and I know Rose didn't either.

"Doing that...Protecting her...Protecting _them_ like that - it was very brave." He paused.

" _Stupid,_ but still brave. Why did you even try it?"

I finally glanced over at him, my face as stern as anything.

"Because I'm her sister. And I'm _her_ guardian." Dimitri knew what I meant as I turned back towards the window.

He seemed to think about my reply to him for a few moments before he stood up and returned to the front of the plane.

When we landed, we all had no choice but to let the commandos drive us out to the Academy. The car stopped at the gate, and the driver spoke with the guards, they let us pass through the wards and up to the Academy itself. It was around sunset - the start of the vampire day - and the campus lay completely wrapped in shadows.

There was nothing more that I hated than this place, it's gothic like architecture and elaborate high peaks and stone carvings. The Moroi were big on tradition, that's why the majority of them are so boring. The Moroi and Dhampirs campus were at different ends of the Academy, all around us were tons of open land, we were too far away from any real city. The air felt cool in my lungs, but smelt wet and cold.

As we walked into the main part of the upper school, I broke from the guardian beside me and ran up to Rose.

"What is it?" Rose asked, she knew there was something up as well.

I brought myself in closer to her. "Ask him." I nodded to Dimitri who was striding up front.

I watched on silently as Rose was speaking with Dimitri and took in the facial expressions and lip reading to see what was going on. She came back to me and I sighed.

"Are we-

"Yeah." She replied

I groaned as the guardians led us through a set of doors - straight into the commons. There had to be at least a dozen different ways to get to Headmistress Kirova's office, but they decided it would be a good idea to go straight through the commons.

And it was breakfast time.

Novice guardians - dhampirs like Rose and myself and Moroi sat together, eating and socialising, faces lit up with whatever gossip was making it's way through the Academy walls. As we entered, the loud buzz of conversation stopped instantly. Hundreds of sets of eyes were on us.

I returned the stares of my former classmates with a glare as Rose returned with a sly grin, trying to see if things had changed at all. Not at all. Our walk of shame mercifully ended, only now we were heading straight to Kirova's office.

All three of us took a seat in front of Kirova's desk as Dimitri and Alberta the captain of the school's guardians stayed at the back of the room. Kirova fixed her angry eyes at Rose and I and opened her mouth to begin what would no doubt be a major bitch session, but a deep, gentle voice stopped her.

"Vasilissa."

Startled, I realized there was somebody else in the room with us. With a great deal of effort, Victor Dashkov rose from the corner chair he was in. Prince Victor Dashkov. Lissa sprang up and ran to him throwing her arms around him, wary of his frail, old body.

"Uncle" She whispered. She almost sounded as if she was holding onto tears as she tightened the grip around him.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you safe, Vasilissa." Victor turned to Rose and I. " And Rose, and you Lily."

We nodded back, trying to hide how shocked we were. When we left he had been sick but the state he was in now...He was horrible. Victor was Natalie's Father, the geeky young Moroi girl who lived at the Academy.

Kirova let Lissa and Victor have there moment before she turned back to the lecture, first she started on Lissa and then on Rose, I spaced out ages ago not listening to a word before her ugly eyes turned to me.

"And you Lilith-"

I held my hand up.

"Actually it's Lily-Rose-"

If her face could get any redder it just did.

" _Lily - Rose Hathaway_. You, and your sister, broke the most sacred promise among our kind: the promise of a guardian to protect a Moroi. It is a great trust that you violated by selfishly taking the princess away from here. The Strigoi would love to finish the Dragomir's' you nearly enabled them to do so."

"They didn't kidnap me." Lissa spoke before Rose or I could, her voice and face calm despite the uneasy feelings inside her. "I wanted to go. Please don't blame them."

Kirova started to pace back and forth with her hands folded behind her back.

"Miss Dragomir, you could've been the one who orchestrated the entire plan for all I know, but it was still their responsibility to make sure you didn't carry it out. If they had done their _duty_ , they would have notified someone. If they had done their duty, they would've kept you _safe._ "

I bolted straight up my eyes seeing red. I could see Dimitri and Alberta tense up behind me and Rose grabbed my hand to prevent me from going any further,

"We did do our _duty! I_ did my duty! We did keep her safe! _I_ kept them safe when none of you could. I took them both away to _protect_ them. I took Lissa away to protect her. I did what I had to do. You certainly weren't going to." Through the bond I could feel Lissa trying to send me calming messages. The same with Rose unintentionally, trying to not let the anger get the best of me.

Too late.

Kirova stared at me. I don't know why but she has always hated me. Rose she didn't like. But me? It was like she had some sort of grudge against me.

"Miss Hathaway, forgive me but I fail to see the logic of how taking her, taking both of them, out of a heavily guarded, magically secured environment is protecting them. Unless there's something you're not telling us?"

I could feel Rose's grip harden and I bit my lip furiously.

"I see. Well then. By my estimation, the only reason you left - aside from the novelty of it, no doubt - was to avoid the consequences of that horrible, destructive stunt you pulled just before your disappearance."

"What? No that's not-" I started.

"And that only makes my decision that much easier. As a Moroi, the princess must continue on here at the Academy for her own safety, but we have no such obligation to the two of you. You will be sent away as soon as possible."

My anger subsided and that's when Rose decided to stand up alongside me and Lissa stood up on the other side of me.

"You can't do that! They're my guardians!"

"They are no such thing, particularly since they are not guardians at all. They are both still _novices_."

"But my parents-"

"I know what your parents wanted, God rest their souls, but things have changed. Rose and Lily are expendable. Neither of them deserve to be a guardian, and they will leave."

I stared at Kirova, unable to believe anything she was saying. My silence led Rose to start speaking.

"And where are you going to send us? To our Mom in Nepal? Did she even know we were gone? Or maybe you'll send us off to our _father_?"

Her eyes narrowed at the bite of that last word. When I spoke again my voice was so cold I could barely recognise it.

"Or maybe, you're going to send us off to be blood whores. Try that, and we will _all_ be gone by the end of the day."

"Miss Hathaway." She hissed. "You are out of line."

"They have a bond." Dimitri's low, accented voice broke the heavy tension, and we all turned toward him. I think Kirova had forgotten he was there. But I hadn't. His presence was way too powerful to ignore. He stood still against the wall. He looked at Me, not Lissa or Rose. His dark eyes staring straight through mine. "Lily knows what Vasilissa is feeling, and Rose. Don't you?"

I felt Rose glance at me and I took in her shocked expression.

Kirova gasped.

"No...that's impossible. That hasn't happened in centuries. Especially both."

"It's obvious. I suspected as soon as I started watching them."

None of us responded, and I averted my eyes from his piercing ones.

"That is a gift." murmured Victor from the corner. "A rare and wonderful thing for both of the Hathaway sisters."

"The best guardians always had that bond." Dimitri added. "In the stories. But no-one ever heard of two."

Kirova's outrage returned.

"Stories that are centuries old." She exclaimed. "Surely you aren't suggesting we let them stay at the Academy after everything that they have done?"

He shrugged.

"Rose may be wild and disrespectful and Lily may be impulsive and careless but if they have potential-"

"Wild and disrespectful?" Rose interrupted.

"Impulsive and careless? Who the hell are you anyway? Outsourced help?" I bit back.

"Guardian Belikov is the princess' guardian now." Kirova said. "Her _sanctioned_ guardian."

"You got cheap foreign labour to protect Lissa?" Now that I think back to what I just said, it probably wasn't the best thing to say. Especially since our parents were foreign born. Our dhampir mother was Scottish and we'd been told our Moroi dad was Turkish.

Kirova threw her hands up in exasperation and turned to him.

"You see? _She_ -" Pointing at me. " Is completely undisciplined! All the psychic bonds and very raw potential in the world can't make up for that. A guardian without discipline is worse than no guardian."

"So _teach_ her discipline. Classes just started. Put them back in a get them training again."

"Impossible. They'll still be hopelessly behind their peers."

"No we won't." Nobody listened to Rose.

"Then give them extra training sessions." Dimitri concluded.

"Who's going to put in the extra time?" Demanded Kirova. "You? You can't train both of them."

Dimitri's argument came to an abrupt stop.

"Well, that's not what I-"

Kirova crossed her arms in satisfaction, the smirking bitch.

"Yes, that's what I thought."

His eyes flickered towards Rose and I and then towards Lissa's pleading ones.

"Yes." He said finally. " I can mentor Lily and I will get a colleague to mentor Rose. We will give them extra sessions along with their normal ones."

"And then what?" Retorted Kirova angrily. " They go unpunished?"

"Find some other way to punish them." Answered Dimitri. "Guardian numbers have gone down too much to risk losing another. A girl, _two_ girls, in particular." His unspoken words made me shiver, reminding me that the statement I had made earlier about blood whores was true. Few dhampir girls became guardians anymore.

"I'm inclined to agree with Guardian Belikov. Sending the girls away would be a shame, a waste of talent." Victor's ill voice spoke.

Ms Kirova sighed and rubbed her head in thought. When she turned back around Lissa met her eyes.

"Please, Ms Kirova. Let Rose and Lily stay."

Rose and I watched on gingerly as Lissa was using compulsion on another Moroi, it was dangerous especially in front of witnesses. But luckily no one seemed to catch on.

Kirova sighed.

"If the girls stay here, here's how it will be." She turned to us." Your continued enrollment at St Vladimir's is strictly probationary. Step out of line _once_ , and you're gone. _Both_ of you. You will attend all your classes and required trainings for novices your age. Lily, you will train with Guardian Belikov and Rose, you will train with another Guardian in every spare time you have - before and _after_ classes. Other than that, you are both banned from all social activities, except meals, and will stay in your dorm. Fail to comply with any of this, and you will be sent away."

I glared at her.

"Banned from all social activities? Are you trying to keep us apart?" I nodded towards Lissa. " Afraid we'll run away again?"

"I'm taking precautions. As I'm sure you'll recall, you were never properly punished for destroying school property. You have a lot to make up for. You are being offered a very generous deal. I suggest you don't let your attitude endanger it."

I opened my mouth to say it wasn't generous at all, but the glance my sister gave me and the unruly stare of Dimitri made me stop.

I glanced back at Rose and we nodded to each other before replying.

"Fine. We accept."


	3. First Day

I understand some people are already not happy with how things are happening, but I urge you to keep reading. I did say at the beginning how it would be a love triangle between my character and Rose. Not quite sure how it's going to happen yet, but I have a solution for those of you who had trouble liking the last couple of chapters. Bear with me and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.

* * *

Sending all of us to classes as soon as we got back is exactly what Kirova did after our meeting which put me in a really sour mood. Rose and I watched on as Lissa got taken away but reaching into the bond we could tell she was OK.

Rose and I got out schedules completely forgetting about how the Academy separates the Moroi and novices which means we wouldn't see Lissa until lunch. At least we were together that was the main thing.

Dimitri and Alberta escorted us to the guardians' gym for first period, neither one of them acknowledging our existence but I certainly didn't have a problem with that. As we arrived everyone's eyes turned to us and I wasn't much of a socialite but Rose was better at that that I which everyone knew.

She caught the eyes of a familiar redhead and grinned.

"Hey Mason, wipe the drool of your face. If you're going to think about me naked, do it on your own time."

I rolled my eyes and a few snorts and snickers broke the silence that had emitted in the gym.

"This _is_ my time Hathaway. I'm leading today's session." Mason grinned.

"Oh yeah?" Rose retorted. "Huh, well I guess this is a good time to think about me naked, then."

"It's always a good time to think about you naked." Someone who may have been classed as my only best friend spoke up.

"Nice. That's my sister." I grimaced at Eddie Castile.

His boyish grin playing out on his face, his playful green eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Sorry Lil. You know I can't help myself."

I hummed in reply and rolled my eyes and Dimitri shook his head, walking off and muttering something in Russian.

And just like that we were novices again. It's like we never left.

I was glad people remembered how I was and engulfed Rose in the gossip instead of me. I knew she wouldn't say anything but she would definitely tease them with ideas. Instead I laughed and chatted to Eddie, I told him about a few things that happened while we were away, making sure to let him know that I still kept up an aspect of my training, so there was no way he could beat me still and he laughed along with me.

"Hey hermit!"

I sighed and turned around facing the one person I hoped I wouldn't see for at least a few days.

"Isaac."

Isaac Kraemer was a beautiful blonde Moroi who broke my heart just after my seventeenth birthday. Before he broke up with me I was much like Rose, slightly popular, social and living the party lifestyle. Occasionally I still do, but I found myself not really wanting to be near people, which is how I got the nickname hermit, because nobody rarely saw me. Which is why I also turned sour and had a hard exterior on the outside. After all, your first love is always the hardest, granted I was young, I still am, but I felt everything for him and we even lost our virginity together. Although, somehow it turned him into the dick he was today.

"You still got what it takes to beat me?" A cocky grin plastered on his face and I narrowed my eyes at him and shrugged.

"As if you could ever beat me, Kraemer."

Isaac held his arms out.

"Let's see what you got hermit."

I brought my hands in a defence mode, fully aware that Isaac would take the offence.

He went straight for the face with his right hand and I blocked him using my left hand forcing it onto his forearm, grabbing it and twisting it underneath causing pressure. Shifting his weight onto my shoulder flinging him over onto his back.

He let out a low huff as he landed roughly on the mat and as quick as a flash I was on top of him with a makeshift stake pretending to pierce his heart.

"You're dead." I puffed, slightly out of breath.

Isaac let out a breathy laugh and his green eyes sparkled with mischievousness.

He placed his hands on my thighs and gave me a once over.

"I see you still have a thing for being on _top_."

I huffed in annoyance, smacking his chest as I got up.

"Ow" He laughed again, smirking at me as he walked away, back over to his friends.

"I'll be seeing you hermit."

I glared at him and I could feel Eddie glaring at him too.

"I don't know why you let him treat you like that. I know you can kick his ass." He said turning to me.

"You know why." I sighed.

"You weren't kidding when you said you'd still been training. Those were some serious moves. Maybe you'll be able to catch up with me after all." Eddie laughed and I smacked his arm playfully.

"Very funny. They're making Rose and I take extra practise sessions anyway." Not that it mattered.

"Extra sessions with who?"

"The dark Russian. Dimitri."

Eddie seemed shocked for a second.

"You're putting extra time with _Belikov_?"

I nodded confused. "Yeah. Why?"

"That man is a _God_."

"Exaggerate much? You got a bit of a crush there Eddie?" I grinned.

"Shut up." He nudged me jokingly and I waved goodbye and Rose grabbed me to head to second period.

…..

I winced as our next class was with instructor Stan Alto, also known as asshole by me. He didn't like me but he definitely hated Rose. I felt bad for her because as soon as he saw her he eyes widened in shock in mock surprise and came to stand by our desks.

"What's this? No one told me we had _guest_ speakers here today Rose and Lily - Rose Hathaway. What a privilege! How very _generous_ of you to take the time out of your busy schedule and share your knowledge with us!"

I sighed leaning my hand against my cheek whereas I felt Rose's embarrassment through the bond.

I almost wished she'd told him to fuck off and I knew she was dying to.

He gestured for us to stand up.

"Well, come on, come on. Don't sit there! Come up to the front so you can help me lecture the class."

I raised my eyebrows.

"I don't think so."

Rose sank into her seat.

"You don't really mean-"

"I mean exactly what I say, Hathaway. Go to the front of the class." His mean eyes turned to me and pursed my lips shaking my head.

There was a thick, tense silence that enveloped the room. In all fairness, Stan was a scary instructor. I held it well with refusing to do the things he wanted me to do, whereas Rose felt it necessary to prove him wrong which is why she decided to get up in front of the class.

I winced and shrunk back in my chair, hand above my eyes, cringing already.

Rose strode up to the front of the class, giving our classmates a bold look before throwing her dark hair over her shoulders. I noticed her stop and glance to the back of the room and I followed her line of sight. Noticing a bunch of guardians at the back of the room, including Dimitri. Turning back to her, I remembered how during the day as well as teaching us novices they were also on guardian duty, protecting their Moroi.

"So, Hathaway," said Stan cheerfully, strolling back up to the front alongside Rose. " _Enlighten_ us about you and your sister's protective techniques."

I cringed noticing Rose's look of a deer caught in headlights.

"Our...techniques?"

"Of course. Because presumably you must have had some sort of plan the rest of us couldn't understand when you took an underage Moroi royal out of the Academy and exposed her to constant Strigoi attacks."

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat watching my sister carefully.

"We never ran into any Strigoi." She replied stiffly.

"Obviously." Stan snickered. "I already figured that out, seeing as you're all still _alive_."

Rose didn't say anything and Stan started pacing in front of the class, every now and then catching my eye.

"So what'd you do? How'd you make sure she'd stay safe? Did you avoid going out at night?"

"Sometimes." Which was true, especially when we first ran away, we started to relax a little after a few months without any Strigoi attacks, although we were always wary of them.

" _Sometimes_." He repeated sarcastically. "Well then, I suppose you slept during the day and stayed on guard at night."

"Er...no"

"No? But that's one of the first things mentioned in the chapter on solo guarding. Oh wait, neither of you would no that because you weren't here." He chose the point of neither to glare in my direction.

"I watched the area whenever we went out and Lily would scour the perimeter." I could practically feel the waves of anger coming off Rose.

"Oh? Well that's something. Did you use Carnegie's Quadrant Surveillance Method or the Rotational Survey?"

Rose didn't say anything and neither did I.

"Ah, I'm guessing you used the Hathaway sisters specialist technique, Glance-Around-When-You-Remember-To Method."

I glared at his form.

"No!" Rose exclaimed angrily. "That's not true. We watched her. She's still alive isn't she?"

Stan walked back up to Rose and leaned in uncomfortably close.

"Because you got _lucky_."

Rose's eyebrows narrowed.

"Strigoi aren't lurking around every corner out there. It's not like what we've been taught. It's safer than you guys make it sound."

"Safer? _Safer_? We are at war with the Strigoi!" He yelled. "One of them could walk right up to you and snap your pretty little neck before you even noticed him- and he'd barley break a sweat doing it. You might have more speed and strength than a Moroi or a human."

He pointed towards me.

"Two of you would make a bit of difference but you are nothing, _nothing,_ compared to a Strigoi. They are deadly, and they are powerful. And do you know what makes them more powerful?"

I could see the tears forming in Rose's eyes but saw her hold them in and I felt myself become angered by his rudeness.

 _"Hey!_ "

Stan clapped his hands and laughed.

"She speaks!"

I glared at him.

"Moroi blood." Rose whispered, you could barley hear her.

"What was that?" Stan asked loudly. "I didn't catch it."

"Moroi blood! Moroi blood makes them stronger" Rose scowled at him.

He nodded in satisfaction.

"Yes. It does. It makes them stronger and harder to destroy. They'll kill and drink from a human or dhampir, but they want Moroi blood more than anything else. They seek it. They've turned to the dark side to gain immortality. Desperate Strigoi have attacked Moroi in public. Groups of Strigoi have raided academies _exactly_ like this one. There are Strigoi who have lived for thousands of years and fed off generations of Moroi. They're almost _impossible_ to kill. And that is why Moroi numbers are dropping. They aren't strong enough, even with enough guardians to protect themselves. Some Moroi don't even see the point of running anymore and are simply turning Strigoi by choice. And as the Moroi disappear…"

"So do the dhampirs." Rose finished.

"Well, it looks like you learned something after all. The pair of you. Now we'll have to see if you can learn enough to pass this class and qualify for your field experience next semester."

Rose didn't reply and sat down next to me in her desk.

Stan's last word replayed in my head. The last year of a novice's senior year were the best because we had no classes for half a semester. Instead, we'd each be assigned a Moroi student to guard and follow around. The adult guardians would monitor us and test us with staged attacks and other threats. How a novice passed the field experience was almost as important as all the rest of their grades combined. It could influence which Moroi they got assigned after graduation. There was only one Moroi I wanted. Because Lissa was a royal and the last no doubt, they are more than likely to assign her more than one, which leaves Rose and I as the clear choices. However, for the assignment I was satisfied with either one of us guarding her, as long as it was, either one of us.

….

Two classes later, we finally earned the freedom of lunch. I told Rose I would meet her there and as I began my trip across campus a silhouette loomed over mine.

"Can I help you?" I refused to stop walking just because he had wanted to speak to me.

"I spoke to your sister, about what happened in guardian Alto's class." Dimitri's accented voice spoke.

" _And_?" I huffed uninterested.

"And, was he right? Do you truly think you were fully prepared to protect Vasilissa?"

At this I stopped in my tracks and turned to him and raised my eyebrows challengingly.

"We kept her alive."

"I watched you and Rose fight your classmates today."

I scoffed and started my travels to campus.

"You did well for someone who's been out of the Academy for as long as you have, your sister on the other hand-"

I stopped again and glared at him.

" _Look,_ we did fine on our own. We'll be able to protect her." I snapped.

Dimitri shook his head.

" You really think they're going to let _both_ of you become Vasilissa's guardians?"

I furrowed my eyebrows at him.

"Why would that be an issue?"

He raised his.

"You think if you ever got into a Strigoi attack your first thought wouldn't go to Rose?"

Words escaped me at that moment and I had to think.

"No…" I hesitated. "No. I _know_ Rose can take care of herself."

"I'll say the same thing I said to Rose. You have no guarantee of being assigned to her. No one wants to waste the bond but no one's going to give her an inadequate guardian either. If you want to be with her, then you need to work for it. You and Rose are an ideal choice to guard Vasilissa when you graduate. Only if you can both prove you're worthy."

I didn't say anything, only narrowed my brown eyes at his retreating form.

….

I exhaled happily as I saw the cafeteria but groaned inwardly as not only did I feel Lissa's anxiety spike, I felt Rose's annoyance, which I assumed was due to the blonde girl who clung to Aaron, Lissa's ex's, side.

I only heard the end of the conversation before I stood behind her with my arms crossed and Rose grabbed the small blonde by the shoulder, jerking her away from Lissa. She was so small and light she nearly toppled over.

"She _does_ have standards." Rose said. " Which is why you're done talking to her."


End file.
